Web.Config file and Linq to Sql changing its place

Question

I'm having a strange issue with my project. It was a Web Site that is now converted to a Web Application that is in a solution. Initially classes were setup using Linq to Sql .dbml file, which stored its connection string in /MyProject/web.config. Now the project ('Web Application') is in a solution and when I modify the Linq to Sql dbml file it creates a web.config file with only its connection string one level above, in /MySolution/web.config, while I still have /MySolution/MyProject/web.config. That gives errors with duplicate connection string names. So, how can I have Linq to Sql just use the web.config file in /MySolution/MyProject/web.config, or is my entire web.config file supposed to be in MySolution/web.config (I would prefer to keep it where it is) Thanks!

PS: the datacontext is in /MySolution/MyProject/MyCode/Models/MyDataContext.dbml

Answer 1

It appears as though updating the dbml will always force only the root web.config to be updated. It will likely be easiest to maintain your project if you do only use that root web.config, but you do have another option.

Each folder can have its own config, which is why you're getting the duplicate name exception. If you want to get around this, you can first remove then add a connection string with the same name. If you do this, your connectionStrings block (within /MySolution/MyProject/web.config) will look similar to the following:

  <connectionStrings>
    <remove name="MyConnectionString"/>
    <add name="MyConnectionString" connectionString="XXXXXXXXXX"
      providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
  </connectionStrings>

Like I said, I can't really recommend that you do this, as your dbml will still save to the root web.config, so it might not be easy for other developers to realize what is going on.